Americas

Materials from the Americas

Big and Small, Room for All

A captivating look at how a child, fits into the great, big universe around us. “Big sky, big sky, what is bigger than the sky? ”In this clever concept book for young readers, award-winning author Jo Ellen Bogart explores the size of animate and inanimate objects and their place in the universe. She introduces children to the concept of “we” — that humans are a big part of the world, but a small part of existence. In the vastness of the universe, with galaxies swirling through space, the book begins with simple words printed on the darkness. Moving closer to our world, we see the solar system, our sun at the center. Closer still, we see the huge ball of fire, which is the sun, and the third planet out from it — our blue Earth. From Earth looming huge on the page, young readers view smaller and smaller objects, from mountain to tree to man to child to kitten to mouse to flea to microscopic beings, amazing in their complexity. Accompanied by artist Gillian Newland’s lavish watercolor paintings, Big and Small, Room for All places the immensity and wonder of space in perspective so young readers comprehend they are part of creation, but a small part of all that exists.

Who Likes The Snow? (Exploring The Elements)

Snow — it crunches when we walk on it, floats down like feathers onto our faces and makes our sleds zoom. But what is snow? And how does it transform the world around us? With a wonderful sense of movement and color, this unique book in the Exploring the Elements series invites children to explore their world with delight and curiosity. Young readers will open the flaps to find the science of snow and related topics clearly explained. Inside, they will discover why snow is white, what snowflakes look like up close, how snow makes the night brighter and much more.

A Meeting Of Minds

“How dare these authors put us in a book? Believe me, I’m going to give them a piece of my mind.” It was a good idea, Coren told himself. Assuming, of course, that Lenora could actually find a piece of her mind that they didn’t already have in their possession. Suddenly transported against their will, the Princess Lenora and her fiancé, Prince Coren, find themselves in a strange place — bone-chilling cold and snow outside, garish marketplaces and angry people inside. The inhabitants call it the city of Winnipeg. Lenora and Coren, however, have no idea where it is or why they are there. They can’t return home because, yet again, their imaginitive powers have deserted them. The Winnipeggers refuse to believe Lenora and Coren are who they say they are. Strangely enough, though, they have read about Lenora and Coren in a series of fantasy novels by the authors Carol M. and Perry N. But just who created whom, Lenora and Coren wonder. And how will they ever manage to escape this frightening city, worse than their worst nightmare, so that their long-awaited wedding can finally take place?

Our Corner Grocery Store

A picture book that celebrates local shops and building communities.Anna Maria takes great pleasure and pride in her grandparents’ corner grocery store. Every Saturday she spends the day helping to arrange fruits and vegetables, greet the customers, and keep things neat and tidy. Through her day we meet the neighbors and learn what an important part the corner grocery store plays in the community. Nonno Domenico, Nonna Rosa, and Anna Maria supply more than goods as the steady stream of customers arrives. Lunches are made, news is shared, bargains are purchased, recipes are traded, and cheerful ciaos are called. By the end of a long day, Anna Maria has a true sense of just how wonderful the sights and smells within the store are and how much they mean to everyone.Charmingly illustrated in great detail, Our Corner Grocery Store pays tribute to the small independent grocers who supply color and atmosphere to city streets. Young readers will particularly enjoy finding and naming the wide array of produce, breads, candies, and dry goods that abound in this friendly establishment.

Children Save the Rain Forest

A profile of the International Children’s Rain Forest describes the lush beauty of the plants and animals that live there and considers the work and contributions by children all over the world to keep the area preserved.

Ask Me No Questions

Nadira and her family are undocumented, fleeing to the Canadian border as they run from the country they thought was their home. For years since emigrating from Bangladesh, they have lived on expired visas in New York City, hoping they could someday realize their dream of becoming legal citizens. But after 9/11, everything changes. Suddenly, being Muslim means being dangerous, a suspected terrorist. And when Nadira’s father is arrested and detained at the border, Nadira and her older sister, Aisha, are sent back to Queens and told to carry on, as if everything is the same. Nadira and Aisha live in fear they’ll have to return to a Bangladesh they hardly know. Aisha, always the responsible one, falls apart. It’s up to Nadira to find a way to bring her family back together again. Critically acclaimed author Marina Budhos has written a searing portrait of contemporary America in the days of terrorism, orange alerts, and the Patriot Act, and a moving and important story about something most people take for granted — citizenship and acceptance in their country.

The First Time (True Stories Series)

Contains eight “true stories” of the sexual experiences of young adults. These stories are sometimes shocking, poignant, graphic and at times tragic. The stories cover many types of experiences including young love, sexual abuse, emabarrassment, difficult consequences, happiness, and gay experiences.